


You irreplaceable you

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Fred and Ginger forever [43]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 12:57:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18717535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: They couldn't let everything go!





	You irreplaceable you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts), [Love_by_dancing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_by_dancing/gifts), [StillAintNoGood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StillAintNoGood/gifts).



Having had her say about the way Fred had behaved on the subject of their marriage she relented when he asked if he might stay at hers until Ava returned home. She knew she’d fallen for a very talented but very flawed man and that was a cross she’d have to bear. What she couldn’t do was keep him at a distance because she loved him so much and his touch still made her feel that she was heart and soul part of him. He was very contrite about the reasons he had given to stall the possibility of marriage and she could see the depth of his unhappiness at not being able to conquer his irrational views.  
So he stayed and they talked. They talked about keeping public lives apart on the whole but never lose their special relationship. Ginger wanted to maintain her contact with Ava and Fred thought this was the best thing in the world and thanked her for the kindness implicit in that desire. They acknowledged that time would decide where or how their lives would play out and seemed to grow closer because of their honest and open conversations.  
In the midst of this Fred told her that he had been offered a book deal to write about his life and career and wanted her to help him if she would. She agreed at once though remarked that he’d have to suggest the false and suppress the truth about his life with Phyllis and relationship with Ginger herself. He told her that was what he intended and confessed, “Here I go again, a weak man who won’t really tell it as it is.” She loved him so that she now accepted this was how it had to be.  
In the course of their discussion Fred had mooted what Ginger thought was a good idea. He had said, “If we’re going to collaborate we need somewhere neutral, neither my home or yours, somewhere we can concentrate.”  
“Yes”, she agreed, “like in crime novels, a safe house. Maybe Pan could loan us his apartment.  
“Well Gin, I have another idea. What about I buy us a small house, maybe high up in the Hollywood hills. Nothing special but private. In fact baby I’ve got my eye on a property.”  
Now this had really come out of left field but was so typical of the Fred she adored. Very often, when she thought they’d established a dance routine he’d arrive the next day with a set of new ideas. She remembered how he and Pan had heard some machinery on the backlot at RKO and came up with the rhythms of ‘Slap that Bass’.  
She giggled and Fred asked, “Well Feathers what do you think?”  
“It’s crazy, loopy and a great idea.”  
Fred had seen a small house high up in the hills. It wasn’t palatial by Hollywood standards but it was sheltered in very private grounds and overlooked that crazy city where dreams were created. As Ginger had now agreed to the idea he contacted the realtor, telling her he wanted to extend his property portfolio with this place and arranged for the keys to be sent over. He and Ginger could look at the place in private together and if she liked it he’d go ahead with purchase.  
They arrived at the house very early one morning. Whilst Fred parked up Ginger grabbed the keys and went to the front of the property. As he approached she was staring fixedly at the front door.  
“Oh no”, he thought, “she hates it”  
“Penny for them Gin”.  
“Fred, it’s a lovely house. It’s perfect. I didn’t want to go in without you though.”  
She handed over the keys. He opened the door and she squeaked with delight as he swept her into his arms, kissing her as he did so. When he finally released her they strolled hand in hand through the house. The large rooms had stunning views over Hollywood with floor to ceiling picture windows. One was the main room , the other the master bedroom. In this room she turned to him saying, “Imagine waking up to that view”.  
“I’ve got the best view in the world when I wake up next to you”.  
She squeezed him, “You old romantic”, then swiftly added, “I love this place, you know my taste so well, please buy it”.  
As they continued their tour he had to chuckle to himself as he could see her mentally refurbishing the house. Her delight was obvious and he was so pleased to have hit on the idea.  
They carried on into the garden which was planted for easy upkeep with plenty of flowering shrubs.  
There was a small pool and paved terraces with breakfast table and chairs, again overlooking the spectacular view.  
“I’ll organise someone to keep an eye on the place when we’re not here if that’s ok with you?”  
“Perfect – midweek maybe as we’re more likely to be here weekends”.  
“Yes I thought that”.  
“Why do you think of everything darling?”  
“Because my head is always full of you.”  
“Can we go through all of the rooms again Fred and I can start my shopping list?”  
He rolled his eyes heavenward.  
“What have I let myself in for?”  
“Well I was thinking of ordering a kingsize bed for our first night here”.  
He grinned at her, “We could do without now if you want”.  
“On this occasion I’ll decline,” she replied, “Let’s save it for our first night, it’s more romantic that way”.  
He hugged and kissed her briefly.  
“You’re right of course honey. Can’t think of a better way of celebrating our pied a terre”.  
He leaned in for some serious kissing.  
“Cool it tiger. Let’s have lunch”.  
She had brought a delicious picnic meal which they ate on the terrace pointing out plants they liked or buildings they recognised. It was the ‘being an ordinary couple thing’ they most loved.  
After lunch they set off round the house, Fred with notebook in hand to jot down her ideas.  
Ginger, for all her occasional flamboyance in her film costumes, loved the sleek lines of thirties Art Deco and he loved that style too. Phyllis had decorated their home with chinzy, frilled items that were fussy and he disliked it intensely. Here he could see how Ginger and himself were travelling on the same path and rejoiced in her as his soulmate in every way.  
“This place will be wonderful,” he thought.  
She broke his reverie with a question.  
“Fred, do you think we could possibly have our first night here on October 2nd, after all it is a Saturday?”  
Puzzled Fred replied, “Don’t see why not, I mean it’s early September, the realtor is keen to rubberstamp the sale and we could get most of the new stuff in by then. Hang on ,why October 2nd?”  
She smiled and put her hands against his chest, “Men,typical, I might have guessed”.  
“Guessed what.”  
“Well you might just remember that on a certain autumn night back in New York, October 2nd to be precise, a rather dashing young man slept with me for the first time.”  
“Aw Gin”, he spluttered, “I remember the night, it was very special though I’d have to admit I couldn’t have pinned down the date.”  
“Maybe because I truly felt loved by a man for the first time the date kinda stuck in my head.”  
“Oh baby.”  
“And I think now we’re finally gonna get a place to call our own it might be a good idea to replay that night on the very same date.”  
“Our place Gin, why didn’t we think of it before?”  
“Maybe it had to be when the time was right.”  
“Still separate lives but a place to have our own spot of heaven on earth.”

So it came about. Fred let Ginger have her own hand in the décor and insisted he wouldn’t go near the house until she was ready to let him see all. In fact he saw very little of her during the next three weeks as she made her nest. She’d asked him to pack a suitcase with things he might use when they stayed there but apart from that his help was not required. As it happened, by chance, Ava had asked if she might spend that very weekend they wanted together having a sleepover at a school chum’s house. Fred had told her that aunt Ginger was helping him write the chapters about their years at RKO so Ava was quite happy when he told her he’d take that time to work with his old partner.  
On the designated day, October 2nd Ginger had told him to meet her there at about 10 in the morning. She’d give him a tour and they’d chill till later.  
“Let’s keep things low key”, she said on the phone.  
He arrived promptly and was met by Ginger who wore casual shorts and top. The house looked much the same he thought, maybe new drapes but not much else he could see. After a kiss of welcome she led him inside. From his first glance he was very pleased and impressed whilst delighted for her. The main room was now uncluttered and had taken on a look of 1950’s Art Deco style. It was quite monochrome in it’s color palette in greys and off whites but with an accent splash of color here and there. This one room was as he dreamt it might be with both masculine and feminine appeal but not overtly one or the other.  
“Oh Gin, it’s perfect, wonderful – my God you’ve got such a good eye.”  
“Thanks Fred, I’ve kept a fairly neutral color scheme throughout because this is as place we want to relax in.”  
“Yeah, that’s just right – we’ve got all the color we need in the garden.”  
“Come and see the bedroom.”  
He was stunned. The big bed was not conventionally placed against a wall but centrally with a fine view over the city below. Here were pale greens and creams, restful and peaceful but again none of the usual clutter of bedrooms so the stage was set for them to play out their love without distraction.  
He hugged her to him, “You’re wonderful Ginge.”  
“No I just went with my instincts about the kind of place we’d be happy to share. Now there’s one more room I’d like you to see.”  
“Another room, I didn’t think there were more.”  
“I subdivided the kitchen. I didn’t need a huge area for an occasional weekend and I thought we’d both like this.”  
What he found was a small room containing a largish piano.  
He ran his fingers across the keyboard.  
“And a Bechstein to boot.”  
“Well, she grinned, you paid for it. Now come onto the terrace, we’ll take it easy until our evening meal.”  
“Food too, you thought of everything.”  
“You’ll need energy later.”  
He laughed and they spent the daylight hours relaxing, chatting and drowsing in the sun.

A little before seven that evening she excused herself saying, “Things to do in the kitchen. As she busied herself she heard the soft sounds of a piano being played and very soon the melody segued into their favourite song, ‘Embraceable You’.  
As he sang the last verse  
‘In your arms I find love so delectable dear, I'm afaid it isn’t quite respectable dear,  
But hang it come on, let’s glorify love,  
Ding, dang it! You’ll shout encore if I love.  
Don’t be a naughty baby, come to papa, come to papa do’.  
She hugged him from behind and planted a kiss on the side of his face.  
“She’s here and the meal’s ready too.”  
They entered the dining area to the sounds of an Eddy Duchin album.. He had died back in 51 but Ginger had many of his albums and wanted to recreate that night in New York when Fred took her dancing and dining at Eddy Duchin’s nightspot. She knew he had remembered everything when he caught her up and waltzed her round the room.  
“October 2nd, what bliss,”  
“But we eat first buster!”  
She’d reproduced what they’d eaten that night -New York strip steak, fries and salad but omitted desert as she remembered she had eaten most of Fred’s as well.  
As they finished Fred said, as he had done all those years ago, “Where’s your bedroom?”  
“It’s ours now, come on big boy.”  
They loved and laughed with the passion and delight of knowing what they had first learned about each other a long, long time ago, was now part and parcel of their makeup.  
She woke in the security of his arms. He looked at her waking as he had done years ago and gestured towards the picture window.  
“A new day, a new dawn and the rest of our lives to look forward to baby.”  
She wriggled to kiss him and said, “I guess I’ll still have to make scrambled eggs.


End file.
